


Filled with Awe and Sincerity

by itbeajen



Series: Ike and Floofs [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: F/M, Floof Au, Modern AU, ROFL I SHOULD JUST CALL IT MODERN AU, Ranulf playing wing man, Zookeeper AU, vet au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 19:18:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11973978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: Sometimes, being a vet means that you have to do work outside your office too. So you weren't surprised when the day finally came that your previous co-worker employs your skills at his current work place.Although you didn't think Ike would be there. But you're glad he was.





	Filled with Awe and Sincerity

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters that are mentioned. I am not making any profit from this fic and I write purely for the love of the characters. Fire Emblem is the property of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems  
> Modern!AU - Vet!Reader, Zoo Keeper!Ike

"Do you  _have_  to go tomorrow?" Mist whined as you drove her home. You glanced at her momentarily and sighed, "Yes, Mist. I can't refuse a request from the vet that helped me throughout my entire career before I opened my office you know."  
  
"But what are  _we_  going to do?"  
  
"Mist, you're a vet too."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm  _your_  assistant. At least bring me with you."  
  
"You'll be fine, you baby," you chuckled as she pouted. "Besides, Titania will be there if you guys need help."  
  
"Oh yeah, huh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
You parked the car in your driveway and said, "Rest up, and sleep well."  
  
Mist playfully slaps your shoulder and shook her head fondly, "Whatever, mom."  
  
"Hey!" But she ignores your call and makes her way towards her house, only for a bedhead of blue hair to pop out the doorway. Ike waves to you, a small smile on his face, and you wave back. You sit inside your car until Mist goes inside the house, Ike lingers outside momentarily, watching you with an oddly confused expression on his face.   
  
You make your way out of your vehicle, and asked, "What?"  
  
He shrugged, "Making sure you get home safe." There's a playful tone in his voice and you roll your eyes at him, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."  
  
You were tempted to stay and see if he'd actually wait until you walked into the house, but you didn't bother testing him. You knew how he was, and if Ike wanted to make sure you were safe, he would. A fond smile tugs at the corner of your lips as you made your way into the house. But it was a nice feeling, knowing that someone cared.  
  
***  
  
"You're. Late," you sighed as you got into the car. Rhys chuckled, "I'm not, you're just early."  
  
"No! Last night, you told me 8 am, it's like 8:30!"   
  
Rhys glanced over and he said, "Read my messages again, [F/N]."  
  
You reluctantly pulled out your phone, and Rhys watched out of the corner of his eyes as your ears were slightly tinged red and he chuckled, "So?"  
  
"I was wrong," you mumbled, but then with a soft sigh, you smiled, "But it's good to see you again, Rhys! It's been a while, hasn't it?"  
  
"It has," he responded, "How has work been after opening up your own office?"  
  
"Well, the first year or two was kind of dead since no one really wanted to go to a newly opened vet. But after a while, it got better. Of course, with Titania and Rolf being there, it really helped out a lot."  
  
"That's good to hear," he chuckled, and then asked, "Are you excited for today?"  
  
"Honestly? I'm kind of nervous. I've never worked with larger animals before," your voice drifted off into a murmur as your thoughts momentarily flickered over to a certain bluenette, but you shook your head and laughed, "It'll be a nice experience though!"  
  
"Don't worry, you'll be working with the calmer large animals."  
  
"Define calm," you immediately asked. Rhys can basically sense the anxiety in your tone and he chuckled, "Something like pandas."   
  
"PANDAS?!" your gaze was focused solely on him and his smile widens, "Yes, although they also have a petting zoo. Since you're basically our back up vet, I think they'll probably send you there."  
  
"Mm, a petting zoo is fine too," you laughed and then mumbled, "We're probably going to get separated, huh?"  
  
"Mm, yes, most likely, I  **am**  their personal provider there. But with Mia being out of town for the weekend, I had to call in someone else."  
  
"Mia?"  
  
"My assistant."  
  
"Oho, so you did find a new assistant after me," you teased, and you asked, "How is she?"  
  
"She's a sweet girl, and kind in nature. She's always there, ready to help, and jumps at every single opportunity that comes her way."  
  
"Sounds like a good person, I'm glad you found an assistant," you laughed and then Rhys asked, "And how have you been? Last time I heard from you was probably... almost half a year ago, when you updated me about your neighbors."  
  
"Oh yeah, Mist, my assistant, she actually lives next door to me. But you know, I was always in the office earlier than her and always stayed later, and I never really asked her, nor did I bother to peek at my neighbor's house," your voice trails off and you muttered, "It's kind of ridiculous now that I think about it. How did I  _not_  know?"  
  
"Well, you are the type to focus solely on one thing only, but how is Mist and Ike doing?"  
  
"They're doing fine. Of course, occasionally they come over for lunch or dinner on the days both of them have off, which is pretty rare. But I've gotten used to making lunch for them and for me, and-" You paused, and turned to him, "Wait, how did you know his name?"  
  
"Well, Ike and I are friends actually," Rhys chuckled and you mumbled, "No way."  
  
"Yeah, we have a mutual friend, and they were talking to me about him one day and I happened to find out later on that we were talking about the same person."  
  
"Oh," you let out a low whistle, and Rhys asked, "Do you get along with him well?"  
  
"Mhm."  
  
"That's good to hear. I've been told that he's a bit unreadable since he's more of a listener than a talker," Rhys paused, and notices you nod in agreement, but you said, "I get along with him pretty well. Occasionally we eat dinner together. And I make him lunch too actually."  
  
Rhys mouth felt dry and he slowly mumbled, "You make him food?"  
  
But you don't hear him as he notices you're starting to drift off to sleep. But Rhys slowly recalls that Mist also works with you and he sighed, a soft smile on his lips, "I bet you make lunch for both of them. Jeez, [F/N]."  
  
***  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Rhys apologized again and you waved your hand casually, "It's fine, really. Besides, we already saw this coming."  
  
He sighs again, and whined, "I was supposed to be a good senior to you and take you around, get you acquainted with everything, and now I'm basically leaving you on your own."  
  
"I'll be fine," you laughed, "Come on, it's not like I haven't gone on a business trip like this before."  
  
Rhys looked uncertain, but in the end he sighs and gently pats your head, "I'll be done around 4 pm and then I'll drive you back home. But if anything comes up, I'll let you know."  
  
"Okay," you nodded and then smiled, "I'll see you later!"  
  
Rhys waves as he's almost dragged away by the attendants that came to take him to the animal that was in need of care. You watched for a bit before glancing down to the clipboard filled with a schedule of things for you to do. Most of it was routine check ups, the part that probably worried you the most was the rabbit pregnancies. If those weren't handled properly... well, you'll just have to hope the previous vet had gotten most things set up so it isn't a mess.  
  
But as you checked the locations of each place you were assigned to, you felt your throat go dry as you noticed how far apart each location was from where you currently were. You were thankful that most of them seemed to be in the same area save for the reptiles, but you frowned upon finding that you really didn't know your way around, and this map wasn't helping.  
  
_Ah, it's okay, I'll figure it out. So according to the map..._  You get up from the table in the lobby room and slowly make your way towards the entrance, only to pause when the door swings open, and the familiar heterochromatic hues of a certain kitten's owner meets yours.  
  
Ranulf's eyes widened and he laughed, "Well if it isn't Dr. [L/N]."  
  
"I told you, [F/N] is fine," you laughed and he asked, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Here for a job," you said, but before you can explain, Ranulf tilts your clipboard towards him, and then a there's a childish grin on his face and he offers, "I can take you to where you're supposed to go."  
  
"Eh, but I can just-"  
  
"Oh come on, it's the least I can do after you took care of Rai," he chuckled and then places his hands on your shoulder, steering you out of the room, "Come on, let's go, let's go."  
  
***  
  
Ranulf was holding one of the rabbits in his arms as it nibbled on the carrots in his hand. He glances up to you as you check on the other rabbit inside the cage and you said, "Well, she's healthy. Whoever was in charge of this place before I got here did their research. It's good that they separated the male and the females. We all know how they are, after all they're very active."  
  
Ranulf nods in agreement and he asked, "After this, what's next?"  
  
"This was the last one. All I did was routine check ups on the goats and the sheep. The alpacas and llamas were fine too. Of course, your smaller animals, like the guinea pigs and these rabbits are a bit overfed by the visitors I bet. But other than that, they're all in good condition!" You give the rabbit one last gentle pat as you take the male one from Ranulf and put it in the adjacent cage to its partner. Immediately the two nuzzled against each other through the openings on the fence and you smiled at the sight.  
  
"Hmm, if you're done then..." Ranulf's voice trails off as his gaze flickers to his watch and then he smirked, "I have about an hour of break left, come with me, I'll tour you around!"  
  
"Eh, but your break!" you protested as he takes you by the wrist. He laughed, "It's  _fine_. You're here and you're done with your work right? Just enjoy yourself while you're here!"   
  
"But I feel bad."  
  
"No more but's. I'm touring you around!" Ranulf laughed as he literally pulls you through the crowds of people. Ranulf ignores the worried tone in your voice. Because honestly, he doesn't really care if he's late for his shift if it meant that he could somehow help out in the bigger picture.  
  
***  
  
"And that's all. I wrote up small notes for each animal just in case. They're really small details, and a lot of it is just the structure of the cages they're put in," you mentioned to the supervisor in charge. He nods and chuckled, "I can see why Rhys had so much faith in you. If you're going to stay, feel free to just walk around, Rhys should be done soon. Hopefully."  
  
"Okay, thank you!" you give him a bright smile before walking out of the office. Ranulf is leaning against the wall and he laughed, "Done?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Cool, let's go," Ranulf placed his hands on his shoulders again, steering you out and you sighed, "I can walk by myself."  
  
"Yes, yes, but I can't let you get lost or he'll kill me," he answered. You frowned in confusion, "Why would Rhys get mad at you?"  
  
_Not Rhys._ Ranulf wants to retort, but instead he laughed and said, "Time to show you the wonders of the zoo!"  
  
***  
  
Honestly, you were hoping that Ranulf would actually tour you around, not drag you away and straight towards one exhibit and one exhibit only. On the way there, you pass by elephants, giraffes, and you sighed, "Ranulf, I thought you said  _tour_."  
  
"I'll show you around  _after_  this part. Any visitor to the zoo cannot miss this!" He chuckled as you followed after him. He saw the way your eyes lit up at each animal and he teased, "Probably never dealt with ones that big, huh?"  
  
He barely catches the slight shake of your head and you murmured, "They're so majestic."   
  
A smile graces his visage and he points towards the crowd, "This is what I wanted you to see."  
  
There was a crowd gathering around a certain exhibit, but upon hearing the primal growl and roar of the predatory cats, you knew why. The lions were all lazing about, basically sun bathing if you'd like to call it that. There were mostly female ones that all appeared to linger about, not really doing much, although one of them was pacing back and forth near the side of the cage where there was a "staff-only" sign.   
  
But what shocks you the most isn't the lions, but rather the familiar bluenette that you've grown accustomed of seeing daily due to a certain co-worker of yours. Donned in the traditional khaki button up and pants, Ike walked past the cage, and stopped right before the fence that blocked the visitors from the cage fence.   
  
You could see his lips moving into the wireless mic, but you couldn't hear him. Ranulf chuckled and whispered, "Ike's just explaining about lion feeding and stuff right now, but we're a bit too far away to hear. But from this viewing point, we can see everything without being in the crowd."  
  
You nodded mindlessly, but you subconsciously find your gaze flickering between Ike and the lion, but what probably caught your attention the most was the fond smile on his face as he feeds the lions. The female lion closest to the fence practically rubs against his legs. A small 'aw' is heard in the crowd, and from yourself, as you watched the friendly interaction between the lioness and Ike.  
  
After the feeding the lions, you notice Ike look back at the audience, waiting for any potential questions. But his gaze lingers on your figure momentarily, confusion and surprise flickers in those oceanic blue orbs and you give him a small smile with a quick wave of the hand. But right after you wave, Ranulf grabs a hold of your hand, and waves at Ike. You glance over to the male holding your hand, and the playful smirk was ever present on his features. He pulls you away, and whispered, "I think we surprised him."  
  
"Honestly, you surprised me, anyways where are we going?"  
  
"Going to go see our boy, Ike," Ranulf answered as though it was obvious. You want to counter his response, but in the end you feel yourself being pulled away and you laughed, "Okay."  
  
***  
  
"Wow, so there are some in the backrooms too?" you asked as two male lions in two separate rooms prowled around in the back. The space was large enough for one male lion to feel comfortable, and both of them had a fake rock wall that separated the two. The only indication of the other knowing the other was there was probably the sound of each other's roars.   
  
Ranulf nods as he grabs a piece of meat and tosses it into a metal slot that dropped the meat right into the cage. The lion snatches it, and immediately trots to the back of the cage where there was a small rock cavern for it to lounge in. He chuckled and then glances at you, "Yeah, we keep these two back here because they're actually not doing well right now. They get alone with their pride rather well, but these two recently got an infection, but..."  
  
He straightens out after seeing them playing with the toys in their cage and he chuckled, "I think Rhys treatment for them is going well."  
  
"That's good to hear," you said as you took another step closer. The lion walked up to the cage, and stared back at you. You chuckled, "He's kind of cute."  
  
"I wouldn't get too close to the cage though, [F/N]."   
  
Ike's appearance causes you to turn around sharply, and he gives you a strained smile and said, "That one tends to bite."  
  
The surprise is evident on your face and it is only after you finally regain enough composure that you noticed that there is still some disbelief on his features. But before either of you can say anything, Ranulf walks over, and stated, "Well, my lunch break is over, so I'm going to be handing you over to Ike, Doc."  
  
"E-Eh?" you looked at him in slight confusion, but Ranulf ignores your small protest and gives Ike two hearty pats on his back. The slightly shorter male leans over and whispered, "You're done for the day aren't you? Go show 'em around, go on a date."  
  
Ike flushed red, but you're confused because you hear nothing. Your head tilts just slightly, but Ike just covers his face with his hand, slowly dragging it down as Ranulf snickers and leaves the room. The last thing you hear and see of him is "have a good time, [F/N]!"  
  
You stand there awkwardly as Ike tries to ignore Ranulf's last lingering words in his ears and he sighed, "Sorry about him."  
  
He notices the slight shake of your head alongside the soft smile on your lips, "It's fine. He's not a bad person anyways."  
  
"Yeah, he isn't," Ike chuckled, "He comes and goes like the wind though. Anyways," he paused and glanced at you, "You're not in your work outfit, just here to visit?"  
  
"Actually, I was here to work," you chuckled and then continued, "The vet that normally works with Rhys is apparently out of town? So I was called in as back up."  
  
"Is that so?" he mumbled and asked, "So you left Mist in charge?"  
  
"Well, we have other vets in the office, we'll be fine," you laughed. Ike smiled and asked, "So, if you're done, let's go?"  
  
He opens the door for you, and you smiled, "Let's go!"  
  
***  
  
"And our last stop in this area are the white bengal tigers," Ike commented as you walked away from the majestic, yet currently asleep panthers that were lounging in the trees. You approached the cage with awe in your eye, and he can't help but smile at the pure amazement and awe on your features.  
  
He slowly walks up behind you and explains, "The two in the back are sisters, twins actually. And the one here prowling around and staring back at you is their older brother."  
  
He notices your gaze following his finger and he pulls away just slightly and as he moves to stand by your side, the male in the front stalked over to his side, staring intently at Ike. You followed the tiger's gaze and you chuckled, "Is it following you?"  
  
"I don't see why it would, unless..." Ike takes a few steps away, and the tiger follows him and you laughed, "I think it is."  
  
Ike furrowed his brows, clearly confused, and you giggled, "It's kinda cute."  
  
His eyes widened and he murmured, "People don't normally describe these predatory cats as cute, but okay."  
  
"Hey, it's cute how it recognizes you. Do you feed them too?"  
  
"Ah," Ike smiled, "I see. Yeah, I do. I'm in charge of feeding most of the larger cats actually. I find myself at ease around them."  
  
He noticed that he's piqued your interest yet again and he explained, "If I have to explain it... they're dangerous animals, yet they're able to instill awe into people."  
  
He paused, "It's like... when people see them, they're just so shocked that they can't speak, they just appreciate it."  
  
You nodded, and was about to answer until you heard the call of your phone. Immediately you pull it out, confusion written all over your face until you see Rhys' name.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"[F/N]! I'm so sorry."  
  
"You're... sorry?" A frown takes over your visage and you mumbled, "What?"  
  
"Mia just arrived at the airport, and she doesn't have enough to afford fare back to her house, so I'm going to pick her up. I just finished everything, if you want to come, you can come with, but it'll take me a few hours to take you back to your place because Mia lives on the other side of the zoo, and-"  
  
"It's okay, Rhys," you laughed. Rhys stops out of surprise and you glanced over at Ike, whose face is filled with confusion, and you smiled, "I think I can get a ride back home."  
  
"I'm really sorry, I just-"  
  
"Oh calm down, it's fine," you laughed and then teased, "Have a good time."  
  
"[F/N]!" The whine in his voice makes you burst into full out laughter, and you laughed, "Get going, don't make the poor girl wait."  
  
"I'll make it up to you! I promise!"  
  
"Okay, okay," you chuckled, "See you."  
  
The sound of the click indicates the end of call, and you turn to Ike and you shrugged, "Rhys had to go pick up Mia. I don't have a ride home now."  
  
He sees the smile on your face and he chuckled, "I can take you home."  
  
"Yay!" you laughed as you skipped past him towards the next exhibit. He smiled and you glanced back at him, a bright smile plastered all over your face, "I was hoping you'd say that."  
  
He shook his head and you fully turned to him and asked, "But what time do you get off work? I can just wander around until you're off."  
  
You watched as his eyes widened and he looks away, chuckling. The confusion on your face is evident and you whined, "What?"  
  
"I'm actually done."  
  
"For today? Don't you work until like, 7 each day?"  
  
"Well, normally yes," Ike finally walks up to you, and the two of you fall back into a steady pace as you resumed travelling through the exhibits. "But today was actually supposed to be my day off."  
  
"Oh?" you're confused, and he nodded, "My co-worker who also feeds the predatory cats with me got sick, and I guess they needed one more person to cover the shift, so I just decided to take it."  
  
"... What a weird scheduling," you murmured. Ike shrugged and he lamely finished, "Yeah, but I'm done for the day."  
  
You gnawed at your bottom lip and mumbled, "So there's really no reason for you to be here, huh?"  
  
Ike's surprised. Your voice was filled with conflict, and perhaps, slight guilt? And he gently pats your head, "There is."  
  
He could tell you didn't get it, but he knows, or at least, he has a good feeling, that the glum look on your face was because of potentially cutting the zoo visit short. His hand is warm atop your head and he chuckled, "We still have the whole day ahead of us, and you haven't seen everything right?"  
  
"No, but.. you're done with work," you kind of countered. He flicked your forehead, much like what he does to Mist. You pouted, and he chuckled, "Come on, I'll show you everything."  
  
***  
  
"Ike, are you sure?" you hesitated as he brought over a golden eagle. The crowd outside the exhibit were watching with wide eyes, clearly in awe that Ike was able to carry the bird around as though it was nothing more than a pigeon or something. The magnificent bird was perched on a gloved arm. The beady gold eyes were clear, and stared intently at Ike. It was massive, but for a fearsome looking thing, it made a cute sounding squawk that makes you coo in adoration at the difference of its appearance from the noise it makes. Ike chuckled and said, "Yeah, this one's been trained to sit on people's arms and hands."  
  
He does a quick look over on your outfit and frowned, "Maybe not your hand though. But since you're not wearing a long sleeve..."  
  
But he quickly finds a solution and he said, "I'll be back. Just wait here."  
  
He walks back into the adjacent room and you watched as the bird flaps its wings slightly almost hitting Ike's face and you cringed.  _Yeah, maybe I'm not up for this._ Ike comes back quickly, another glove in his hands and he offers it to you. But upon making eye contact with you, he's surprised to see apprehension in you. He looks at the eagle and with a soft voice, "Hey, I won't force you, but trust me. She's nice. I know she's a predatory bird, but just..." he struggled to find the words, and he finished, "Just put your faith in me."  
  
You nod as you put on the glove and he slowly puts the eagle back on the tree limb where it watched both of you intently. You take your first step forward, and honestly, you don't know why you were so scared. You've taken care of and rescued plenty of different creatures, why were you so scared of an eagle?  
  
Probably because you can get your eyes pecked out and your arms gashed apart in public, in front of a crowd.  _Yeah, I don't wanna die like that._  You take in a deep breath, and Ike has the eagle back on his arm again.   
  
"Extend your arm, [F/N]. And try to hold it steady," he instructed you. You do as you're told, but you can feel your arm trembling out of nervousness. Ike stands behind you, and with his free hand he places it under your elbow, supporting you as he brings his arm with the eagle closer.   
  
"Steady now, it's okay, [F/N]."  
  
But you feel your heart beat pick up when his voice is right next to your ear, and you can't help but tremble just slightly. His hand squeezes your elbow reassuringly and the eagle squawks again just slightly and slowly moves from Ike's arm to yours. Upon settling itself there, it prunes its feathers and makes another adorable call. Ike smiles upon seeing the awe light up your eyes.   
  
"Now stay here, I'm going to let go okay?" You nod, unable to find your voice from both the close proximity of Ike's presence in general, and the fact that you were actually able to hold the eagle. It was much heavy than you had anticipated, but you found a comfortable position as you slowly brought bent your arm so your fist was against your chest.   
  
Ike comes back with a small bucket and immediately the eagle's attention goes from its feathers to Ike, and he hands it to you and said, "Here, try feeding her."  
  
"Will she peck me?"  
  
"If you don't do it correctly, probably. So, here, put this on first," Ike pulls out a plastic glove and you offer him his hand. He slips it on and once it's on snugly, he continued, "When you grab the meat, hold it with your thumb and your index finger, but not the tip of your finger. It's more like making a fist and then holding something down with your thumb."  
  
He watches as you tried to imitate the movement, and once you did he nodded, "Okay. Then, take the meat out and then hold it by the end. That way once she grabs it you can let go."  
  
You watch Ike demonstrate it effortlessly and you blanched, "How do you make everything look so easy?"  
  
"I work here," he teased, and you rolled your eyes. But there's finally a smile on your face after all the concern about the eagle potentially hurting you. You mimic his movements and keep in mind what he taught you. And once the eagle bit down on the meat, you let go and watched as it cooed and looked at you two for more.  
  
"She's so cute," you whispered and with your other hand you gently pat down her feathers on the top of her head. Ike's surprised when the eagle lets you and you looked at him, "What? Did I do something I shouldn't have?"  
  
"Well, she's sensitive to hands near her head, so I'm surprised she let you do that," he admitted as he watched you feed the eagle with renewed vigor and contentment. He finally relaxed his shoulders. In all honesty, he was a bit scared that the eagle wouldn't react well to you, or you to the eagle. But he's glad that you've taken to it like a fish to water.   
  
"Ah, there's no more," you noticed as you reached into the empty bucket. The eagle makes a cry in protest, and you laughed, "Sorry girl." With one finger, you gently pet down its feathers on its head and it contently cooed before flapping its wings just slightly. You flinch though from the sudden movement, and Ike's hands are immediately on your shoulder and your elbow, steadying you from potentially falling over after he saw the way your entire weight shifted.  
  
"Ah, thanks," you mumbled and sighed, "I always seem to get knocked over by animals."  
  
"Well, you're pretty short so-"  
  
"Okay, then," you rolled your eyes and nudged him with your free elbow. A fake grunt of pain is heard, and both of you are struggling to keep your laughter in check. But in the end, both of you regain composure and Ike moves around to stand by you. He gently takes a hold of the arm that's supporting the weight of the eagle and maneuvers it so it's next to his. He coaxes the eagle onto his arm, and afterwards puts it back into her proper cage. The people watching the exhibit from outside claps for you guys, and you're embarrassed that they witnessed the entire ordeal.   
  
He opens the door for you, and makes sure that the eagle doesn't follow you guys in or anything, and thankfully she doesn't. Once you guys are out of public view you let out a heavy sigh. Ike glances down and asked, "You okay?"  
  
"Other than the fact I just fed an eagle that was sitting on my arm in front of a crowd of like 20? I'm fine," you honestly answered. The smile on your face was new, and our local bluenette is left confused. You laughed, "Hey, it was a good experience, but I don't know how you can do that in front of people like it was a show or something."  
  
"Oh, well," Ike sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, "You get used to it."  
  
"And this is why I work in a private office," you reasoned. He opens the door leading you back into the zoo. You glanced back, "What's next?"  
  
"That was it actually," Ike admitted. Your eyes widened and he continued, "You went through the entire zoo."  
  
"What, really?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
You open the map and Ike slowly started pointing out each location you guys have visited it. You returned to the petting zoos after he showed you through the Safari zones, and then he brought you over to the aquatic zone. After watching an entertaining show with seals and otters, you finished the tour of the entire aquarium and then went straight to the aviary domes.  
  
"Wow, we really did tour the whole place," you mumbled. Ike nodded and he said, "And it's almost closing time too."  
  
"Eh? It is?"  
  
There's a proud grin on Ike's face, and he teased, "Time passes by quickly when you're having fun."  
  
"True," you agreed, and then asked, "So, I guess we head home?"  
  
"Mm, yeah, just let me change out of my uniform. I'll take you back to the staff's zone where they probably briefed you and all."  
  
"Okay!"  
  
***  
  
Ike instructed you to wait in the lobby room while he went to clock out and everything. But the moment he gets to his locker, Boyd and Ranulf are staring slyly at him and he sighed. Boyd slings an arm over his shoulder and pokes Ike's cheeks, "So, tell us, who's the cute vet you were with?"  
  
"My neighbor, and Mist's employer," he explained. Boyd huffed at the answer and pulled away. He mumbled, "Mist's employer, huh?"   
  
Ike nods again, but Boyd asked, "I'm asking about her relation to  _you_ , Ike."  
  
"Yeah, Ike," Ranulf chimed in, this time slinging his arm around Ike. Ike barely got to change out of his khaki uniform and he sighed, "Look, really, [F/N]'s just a good friend."  
  
"Okay, but you guys hang out a lot," Ranulf pointed out. He removes his arm to let his friend finally change, and Boyd mumbled, "And don't tell us that Mist made those homemade lunches, we all know how big of a lie  _that_  is."  
  
Ike and Ranulf snorted, and he admitted, "Yeah, [F/N] makes lunch for Mist and I."  
  
"So just 'good' friends?" Ranulf asked again as though asking for a confirmation. Ike nodded and Boyd rolled his eyes, "I don't buy it. But," the green haired boy paused and smiled, "If you feel that comfortable around 'em, then [F/N] has to be a good person."  
  
Ike doesn't respond, but the small smile on his face was answer enough.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, sorry, did you wait long?" Ike asked as he walked out. Dressed in just a casual black collared polo and jeans, you couldn't help but think he looked exceptionally nicer today. Although you weren't sure if it was the clothes, or his more charismatic side as a trained zoo keeper. You casually shook your head and then said, "Let me put this little fella back first."  
  
There was an albino bearded dragon resting in the crook of your arm and Ike chuckled, "Where in the world did you get that from?"  
  
"He was just scampering about the floor here, I couldn't find a cage for him, and his nails are already really short, so I figured I could let him rest a bit," you explained as you gently ran your fingers down its back. The lizard scampered up your arm, resting its head on your shoulder and Ike mumbled, "Must have gotten out of his cage again. He's our director's personal pet. I'll go put him back."  
  
Ike reaches out to take him, but you pull away, and you said, "I wanna do it."  
  
"Fine," Ike conceded, but before your smile could get any brighter he added, "I'll go with you so you don't get lost."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
***  
  
The car ride was mostly silent. Although Ike can't blame you, especially when you were so adorably curled up, or as curled up as possible, clutching onto the seat belt. He bit back his chuckle at how endearing it was, for you to be so tired that you'd fall asleep five minutes into the car ride.  
  
But once the hum of the car signals the arrival of home, he's still surprised to see you completely knocked out. He gently shakes you, but to his surprise, you weakly brush away his arm with your own hand. Only to curl up against the seat belt a bit tighter.   
  
"[F/N], we're home," he softly stated. His hand is on your shoulder, gently shaking you, and you whined, "Five more minutes, mom."  
  
Ike blanched, "I'm not your mom."  
  
But he gives up when you ignore him. He sighed, unclipping the seat belt and carefully getting it off of you. He leans away and then mumbled, "How am I supposed to open the door though..?"  _I clearly can't just carry [F/N] into the house, I don't know where the keys are. But... can't bring [F/N] into my house because I can't open the door.  
  
_ Ike sighed again and stared at you. He couldn't believe you knocked out this hard. He shook you again, and in a bit louder voice, "Wake up, [F/N]."  
  
Your eye lids slowly fluttered open, and he's amused at the sleepy expression on your face. After a few blinks, you finally recognize Ike's face before yours. Although the rather smug grin on his face makes you want to slap it off, and you mumbled, "Gods, was I out?"  
  
"Yeah," he said as he watches you slowly get out of the car. You immediately stretch, and you mumbled, "Sorry."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Sorry for not keeping you company on the way back, I guess I was that tired," you apologized. He shrugged and closed the car door, locking the car and he said, "It's fine, you did a lot today."  
  
"Yeah, but I feel bad," you countered. He sighed, but before he could say anything, you gently tug on his arm, and smiled, "Let me make you dinner in return for driving me home, showing me around the zoo, and falling asleep in the car."  
  
"[F/N], really it's fine."  
  
"I  _insist_ ," you emphasized as you tugged on his arm. He was going to say no, but his stomach said yes as it rumbled loudly. He quickly glances away in hopes that you wouldn't notice the growing blush. But with a loud laugh, you dismissed the whole situation and this time drag him along, "Dinner's on me then!"  
  
***  
  
Ike lets out a content sigh as he finds himself slumping into your sofa after the good dinner. You're resting on the opposite side, completely stretched out, yet your toes could barely touch him from where you sat. There's a content smile on both your faces and you smiled, "Today was a good day. I haven't gone to a zoo since I was kid, it was a great experience."  
  
Ike's surprised to hear that admission and he asked, "That long?"  
  
You nodded, "Yep. I'm glad I stayed after I finished working."   
  
You're laying on the sofa now, and you completely stretched out until your toes actually brush against his thighs. He glanced over and you'rr completely relaxed, eyes closed as you recalled the day.  
  
"It was really nice seeing all the exhibits. I've always considered myself knowledgeable regarding animals, but going to the zoo always proves me wrong. Oh, and!" You sat up quickly, and your eyes were sparkling with amazement, "You were so cool, Ike!"  
  
_Huh?_ Ike's shocked and you gushed, "When you were feeding the lions and the way you handled the eagle. You were just so cool! Oh, but gosh, when the lioness rubbed against your leg and you patted her side? That. Was.  _Adorable._    
  
"And the eagle. Gods, I never thought I'd ever get the chance to handle such a bird like that personally. But being able to hold one  _and_ feed it? It's just so cool! And you're just so calm and composed, and you were even able to make it so educational and-" you paused, taking in a deep breath, and you finished, "It was amazing.  _You_  were amazing."  
  
Ike's stunned by the rush of compliments, and he quickly breaks eye contact upon feeling the heat that rushed to his face. His hand covers his face and you laughed, and poked his cheek, "Aww. Is macho man Ike embarrassed?"  
  
He turned away, and you smiled before softly whispering, "But really, I saw a side to you that I never knew you had. And you were really cool. I mean it."  
  
When he glances over, he sees there's a blush on your cheeks too and he mumbled into his hand, "Cute."  
  
Your eyes widened and you indignantly looked away, and he chuckled. But the laughter slowly fades away, and once the comfortable silence barely settled in, you could barely hear his "Thanks [F/N]."  
  
But all you could do is give him a bright smile, because despite the embarrassment both of you felt, whether it was from dishing out the compliments or receiving them, the best feeling was knowing that the smile on the other's face was because of them.

**Author's Note:**

> I was hoping to finish this by the time Choose Your Legends banner came out, but I'm like a day late. Ahahahaha. BUT PART THREE OF THE IKE AND FLOOFS AU IS HERE. I really don't know why I'm so invested in this fic tbh.
> 
> This is like twice the length of the previous parts. Whoops. Zoo date got too entertaining for me.
> 
> Edit [2017.09.04]: I found lots of typos and also realized I didn't keep this story gender neutral at all. I failed you guys.


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